OP, you're posting this in tgr sports forum so all the psycho sports parents are responding.

All of the parents who have spent thousands of dollars on travel sports and hours every week driving around to tournaments need a reason to justify why they chose that path instead of encouraging rec sports, or playing tennis at the park, going jogging with friends, basketball at the park etc. It is totally insane here and for many kids gives them a warped sense of what sports are all about. It's about winning and giving up everything to win. A lot of these parents and kids have lost all perspective. Just watch them if they lose the game, not even an important one. It's the end of the world, the kids are devastated, the parents are pissed. It's pathetic how sports culture has sucked a lot of the pure joy of sports for children.

A reason why college sports are so uniquely important to America is also due to its size. There aren't professional sports teams for each one of our 50 states, but there is a college team. America is so big that the culture and lifestyle can differ quite a bit a few states over, so people don't feel super connected rooting for a professional team several states away. Colleges fill that gap. Imagine if Italy was deemed too small of a market to have a soccer team, so the closest professional team they could root for was Germany's.

Sports are one of the biggest income generators for colleges. College ticket sales and TV rights are a multibillion dollar industry. An athletic recruit could be a major money making commodity for the school, which is why they are so prized.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My spouse and I are immigrants and don’t understand the obsession with youth sports in the US. We have 2 kids: one is naturally athletically gifted and the other , not so much, but is very academically competitive .

We were surprised when our not so athletic child was waitlisted at several high schools who accepted other kids in his class who had lower grades and lower standardized test scores but were good athletes.

I understand these kids will get recruited by good colleges and make the schools look good.

But what’s the end game ? If it’s a college scholarship, the math doesn’t add up. By the time, one pays for years of coaching and travel to get to the level where their child can be recruited, they could have easily saved that money over the years and paid for a college tuition.

Is it to keep kids out of trouble /boost their confidence/ stay healthy/ make friends with similar interests ? If so, why practice sports which such intensity , travel for tournaments, risk burning the child out …

This is a genuine question and not intended to throw shade at anything or anyone. We are simply trying to understand the culture better.

Honestly, the easy answer is go look at the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce blow up. Now, 13 year old girls and the Swiftie groupies cared about who Taylor Swift was dating. But, generally no one else did. Most of her boyfriends have been, what appears to be nice enough looking but I would describe as your average band/acting dork (and I mean this in the nicest way) but I'd wager they weren't what most people would consider the cool kids in HS (I'm sure some were). They aren't physical specimens and generally not someone I'd want to have a beer with (maybe Hiddleston). She starts dating Kelce and everyone in the US knows about it because it is mixing the largest sport in the US, the NFL with one of its biggest stars. It was so big that people like Ryan Reynolds et al were in her box last night. So she could basically relive the high school dream of dating the HS football team's biggest jock. And don't get me wrong, I think they are a nice couple.

That's the easiest way to describe the importance of sports in America.

Not sure what professional athletes and entertainers has to do with anything.

Following premier league stars and their WAGs is a major part of European pop culture, but it doesn’t trickle down to HS or even college sports.

The big difference outside the US is that sports talent is identified and professionalized at a much earlier age. Hence why Barcelona started training Messi at 5 and the French basketball prodigy (#1 NBA draft pick) was pulled out of normal school and trained starting at like 10.

In Europe, the serious athletes all attend a place like IMG in the United States. Anyone remaining in normal HS is not on a Pro path and there are no college sports.

I agree with the comments about HS competitiveness being a big factor (requiring kids to play on travel teams or do advanced training while young).

Beyond that, social life for kids and teens REALLY seems to revolve around organized activities (sports or other) rather than just “hanging out”. I live in an UMC suburb and have three DC: ages 15 (boy) 14 (girl) and 12 (boy). They, and nearly all of their friends, are busy with sports or are heavily involved in other activities- that take up much of their free time. There would be little to do on the weekends- socially- otherwise. Sure, there are parties or hangouts here and there. But most weekends- Larla is on a band trip, Susie has a softball tournament, Katie has a swim meet all day Saturday, etc etc. It has been this way since late elementary school or so. By the time they are in late middle school (and certainly high school)- activities tend to be more or less year round…club teams etc or at minimum off-season workouts and such.

I don’t necessarily agree that this is the healthiest or most ideal for kids even though I allow it for my own (and many parents would agree). However, the alternative is to do…what? Hang out with your parents all weekend, every weekend- waiting for friends to be free for a few hours? That would not be particularly healthy or ideal either. It is just the bandwagon effect in play…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Genuinely curious which countries in which youth don’t play sports?

I think most do not (at the same level in the US)? Especially on the girls side. It makes me wonder - what do all those high school kids in, e.g., Paris, do after school is out for the day, since (as far as I know), kids aren't playing for high school sports teams (because there are none). Genuinely curious, since it is such a big part of American high school kids' lives.

You know nothing

I mean - the varsity girls soccer team at American School of Paris has to go to London/Vienna, etc. to play soccer matches (since no girls high school teams to play in Paris) so . . . . I may not know much, but I know something!

There are club soccer teams and if you are any good, you’ll play competitively with your club. Or if you are not so good, you will play at a lower level with your club.

That depends on the sport and the country. No title ix means no girls sports or very limited girls sports in a lot of the world

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Genuinely curious which countries in which youth don’t play sports?

I think most do not (at the same level in the US)? Especially on the girls side. It makes me wonder - what do all those high school kids in, e.g., Paris, do after school is out for the day, since (as far as I know), kids aren't playing for high school sports teams (because there are none). Genuinely curious, since it is such a big part of American high school kids' lives.

You know nothing

I mean - the varsity girls soccer team at American School of Paris has to go to London/Vienna, etc. to play soccer matches (since no girls high school teams to play in Paris) so . . . . I may not know much, but I know something!

There are club soccer teams and if you are any good, you’ll play competitively with your club. Or if you are not so good, you will play at a lower level with your club.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Genuinely curious which countries in which youth don’t play sports?

I think most do not (at the same level in the US)? Especially on the girls side. It makes me wonder - what do all those high school kids in, e.g., Paris, do after school is out for the day, since (as far as I know), kids aren't playing for high school sports teams (because there are none). Genuinely curious, since it is such a big part of American high school kids' lives.

If you play a sport, it’s done outside of school. So if you play soccer, you have practice at your club in the afternoon. But not every afternoon for 3-4 hours. If you play tennis, you go to the tennis club and play there. And so on.
You also have a lot more homework, and school work comes first.
European kids also just hang out. If you live near a lake, you’ll go swimming with your friends. If you live in the city, you’ll go to the park or the city center. If you live near the mountains, you’ll go hiking.

Anonymous wrote:My spouse and I are immigrants and don’t understand the obsession with youth sports in the US. We have 2 kids: one is naturally athletically gifted and the other , not so much, but is very academically competitive .

We were surprised when our not so athletic child was waitlisted at several high schools who accepted other kids in his class who had lower grades and lower standardized test scores but were good athletes.

I understand these kids will get recruited by good colleges and make the schools look good.

But what’s the end game ? If it’s a college scholarship, the math doesn’t add up. By the time, one pays for years of coaching and travel to get to the level where their child can be recruited, they could have easily saved that money over the years and paid for a college tuition.

Is it to keep kids out of trouble /boost their confidence/ stay healthy/ make friends with similar interests ? If so, why practice sports which such intensity , travel for tournaments, risk burning the child out …

This is a genuine question and not intended to throw shade at anything or anyone. We are simply trying to understand the culture better.

Honestly, the easy answer is go look at the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce blow up. Now, 13 year old girls and the Swiftie groupies cared about who Taylor Swift was dating. But, generally no one else did. Most of her boyfriends have been, what appears to be nice enough looking but I would describe as your average band/acting dork (and I mean this in the nicest way) but I'd wager they weren't what most people would consider the cool kids in HS (I'm sure some were). They aren't physical specimens and generally not someone I'd want to have a beer with (maybe Hiddleston). She starts dating Kelce and everyone in the US knows about it because it is mixing the largest sport in the US, the NFL with one of its biggest stars. It was so big that people like Ryan Reynolds et al were in her box last night. So she could basically relive the high school dream of dating the HS football team's biggest jock. And don't get me wrong, I think they are a nice couple.

That's the easiest way to describe the importance of sports in America.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Genuinely curious which countries in which youth don’t play sports?

I think most do not (at the same level in the US)? Especially on the girls side. It makes me wonder - what do all those high school kids in, e.g., Paris, do after school is out for the day, since (as far as I know), kids aren't playing for high school sports teams (because there are none). Genuinely curious, since it is such a big part of American high school kids' lives.

You know nothing

I mean - the varsity girls soccer team at American School of Paris has to go to London/Vienna, etc. to play soccer matches (since no girls high school teams to play in Paris) so . . . . I may not know much, but I know something!

Immigrant mom here with several school age nieces and nephews overseas ( one of the Levantine countries ) .

Kids there have significantly more homework than US kids. I’d say in middle school/ highschool , 3-4 hours of homework in the afternoon is the norm. Of course kids do extracurricular activities such as sports, play a musical instrument, dance … but those are purely for the child’s enjoyment and don’t usually play a role in college admissions.
Weekends are spent studying / doing some extracurriculars and Sundays are mostly spent with extended family

OP i agree. It’s absolutely nuts and completely unnecessary. But everyone does it because they don’t want their kid to be left behind in this rat race.

Anonymous wrote:Genuinely curious which countries in which youth don’t play sports?

I think most do not (at the same level in the US)? Especially on the girls side. It makes me wonder - what do all those high school kids in, e.g., Paris, do after school is out for the day, since (as far as I know), kids aren't playing for high school sports teams (because there are none). Genuinely curious, since it is such a big part of American high school kids' lives.

Anonymous wrote:Genuinely curious which countries in which youth don’t play sports?

I’m from a Western European country and kids do play sports. But it’s a lot more relaxed, unless you are really, really good at the sport. And sport isn’t tied to the school, it’s done outside of school. No one is practicing 3-4 hours every day (again, unless you’re top level). People who like sports do them in their free time, but the emphasis in a kid’s life is on school. Here it feels like school work needs to fit around whatever sport they do. Most of the emails I get from high school are about upcoming sports games and trying to raise money for school sports.

I think you found one outstanding athlete that worked really hard to get a scholarship and you think they bumped your kid. HOWEVER, those athletes have to have grades, test scores AND athletic ability. Not just book smarts.